Available since October 6 on Netflix, the thriller “Fair Play” features a young couple played by Phoebe Dynevor and Alden Ehrenreich whose romance turns bad when she gets a promotion.
Director Chloe Domont’s first feature film, the psychological thriller Fair Play explores gender dynamics within the job market through the story of an ambitious couple in the highly competitive world of investment funds.
Emily (Phoebe Dynevor) and Luke (Alden Ehrenreich) are analysts who work for the same company, in the same open space. Their relationship is kept secret within the framework of work, but it is serious, solid and goes back a long time.
They move in together, madly in love with each other, and decide to get engaged after an impromptu proposal from Luke. However, shortly after this engagement, an unexpected promotion allows Emily to rise through the ranks when Luke thought she was meant for him.
The result is an increasingly tense situation within the couple, fueled by jealousy, insecurity and what remains of affection between the two gradually disintegrates.
The film dissects Emily and Luke’s relationship and delivers a chilling analysis of gender roles in heterosexual couples, persistent social sexism, and how it all affects a woman’s career. Impeccable performances from Phoebe Dynevor and Alden Ehrenreich reinforce the film’s very realistic approach to such a heavy subject.
But is this story, so realistic and so well told, just pure fiction? We have the right to ask ourselves the question, here is the answer!
© 2023 MRC II Distribution Company, LP
Is Fair Play based on a true story?
Chloe Domont directed the film, aiming to tell a story about gender-based power dynamics, a dynamic that is deeply rooted in our society.
Through Emily and Luke’s tumultuous relationship, the story offers a case study in the fate of the modern woman, the one who succeeds while evolving in a patriarchal system that affects every corner of her life.
Although the exact situation as depicted in the film is fictional, Chloe Domont drew on her own experiences to tell this story. She chose to highlight the link between the emancipation of women and the fragility of men. A problem which – and she realized this to her cost – is universal, but which we never talk about.
“This film was a real review of some experiences that I had in the past, and it was born from this feeling that I had at a certain period of my life, when my career started to take off and my success did not feel like a total victory, but rather a loss on some level“, explains Chloe Domont during a video interview with CineXpress.
“And it’s because of the type of relationships I had“, continues the filmmaker. “These relationships with men who adored me for my strengths, my ambitions and my talent, but who, at the same time, felt threatened by it. And I think the most important thing is that we never got to talk about it.
I think it was something we were both afraid to admit, you know? So I normalized it and continued to experience it, which made me realize the hold these ingrained power dynamics still have on us today. That’s why I wanted to bring it to the screen“.
© 2023 MRC II Distribution Company, LP
Chloe Domont’s personal experiences thus explain the powerful and realistic way in which the director portrays Emily’s difficulties. The story carries an intrinsic authenticity that many viewers could relate to.
Additionally, the assumption that career success has a negative impact on women’s personal lives is a well-documented phenomenon and supported by some research. An article published on the website of the BBC made a big splash in 2020 and highlights the link between promotions of women and the resulting divorce rate.
According to the paper, married heterosexual women’s chances of divorcing after a promotion to CEO were twice as high as those of the male population…
In Fair Play, Chloe Domont focuses on one such case, perfectly depicting the intense and progressive build-up of pressure of the situation through the thriller genre. Therefore, even though the characters and events themselves are not based on true events, the film strives to shine a light on an issue that is.
The result is a very relevant film, full of social and societal conversations that are important to have.